Role model

It’s been called “Twilight on Steroids,” since, in contrast to the “other” teenage franchise where wan and waif-like Bella spends many hours mooning for her vampire lover, “Hunger Games” features Katniss Everdeen, who at 16 must do battle against 23 other young people to survive.

Both novel and movie franchises do have one thing in common: they center on a love triangle in which two young men are locked in a contest for the heart of the heroine. But while Bella (I heard, since I haven’t bothered to read the books or watch the movies) spends much of her time looking sullen and pining for Edward, Katniss volunteers in her younger sister’s place in the Hunger Games, then spends the rest of the time kicking ass and firing arrows with deadly accuracy.

I first heard of “Hunger Games” when my daughter asked me to buy a hard copy of the novel while I was in the United States. She had read the three books in the trilogy online, she said, but couldn’t find any copy of the first book—the other novels are “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay”—in local bookstores. Sure enough I found a copy of “Hunger Games” in a Barnes and Noble, but wasn’t tempted in the least to read it, though I found the cover art fascinating.

Only when we first glimpsed the movie trailer for “Hunger Games” was I moved to wonder about the huge appeal of the novel. My daughter lent me her copy of the book I bought in the United States, but when she offered to let me read her e-copies of the other books, I demurred, saying I couldn’t read beyond a few pages of digital books.

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What I read of “Hunger Games,” though was enough to whet my appetite for the movie.

The book series, by Suzanne Collins, tells the story of 16-year-old Katniss, who develops fierce hunting skills in the woods of District 12 of the futuristic nation of Panem. Like some bizarre central economy model of a communist state, Panem is divided into 12 districts, each of which is assigned a particular role in the economy. District 12 is assigned coal mining, and in exchange for hard manual labor and much risk (Katniss’ father is killed in a coal mine accident), the miners are paid a pittance, forcing families into penury.

Panem is the surviving entity after a widespread rebellion against the central Capitol. As punishment for their role in the rebellion, the 12 districts are forced to take part in the annual Hunger Games, where two young residents of a district, between the ages of 12 and 18, are chosen to participate in the deadly competition, where only one winner is to emerge victorious—and alive. The Games are not just punishment but also popular entertainment, televised around the country with citizens obliged to watch and cheer on their favorites.

Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is forced to hunt in the woods, a forbidden activity, to augment her family’s diet and earn extra income by selling her catch in the black market. Her hunting partner and only friend is Gale (Liam Hemsworth), who dreams of escaping District 12 and forging a new life for himself.

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Comes the day of the “reaping,” when the district tributes are chosen, and Katniss’ deepest nightmare comes to life. Her younger sister Prim’s name is drawn, and horrified by what could certainly be Prim’s early death, Katniss volunteers to be District 12’s tribute. She is joined by Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), the baker’s son whom Katniss remembers mainly for throwing her some burnt bread which saves her family from starvation.

The two young people are brought to the bright, glittering and brittle confines of the Capitol, and are soon the toast of the town. But when they arrive at the arena where the Hunger Games are to be fought, they soon discover savagery and cruelty beyond their imaginings. But Katniss is a survivor, and despite her doubts, forges an alliance with a young tribute named Rue and with her partner, Peeta.

One roots for Katniss, for her grit and independence, and for her developing feelings for Peeta, despite the turmoil these bring when she remembers her friendship with Gale. But one roots as well for all the poor, oppressed citizens of Panem, who find in Katniss and Peeta symbols of their own suffering and of their hope for redemption. How will the outcome of the Hunger Games affect their own yearnings for a better life?

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Certainly, Katniss makes for the best role model for young women I’ve seen in a long while. She is intrepid and brave and devoted to the care of her mother and younger sister. She is also proud and determined to live life on her own terms, refusing to knuckle under demands to cater to popular whims, or even to obey what the government wishes and expects her to do.

In Katniss and Peeta we find two young people resolved to saving their own humanity, to keep themselves as they know themselves, even if in the end death overtakes them.

I understand the later books—and movies surely to follow—will expand the canvas of Katniss’ concerns beyond her own survival and freedom. I can only look forward to more tales of this young woman’s struggle not just for a better life but for liberation in its fullest and most real sense. In Katniss may all young women today find a heroine worth following in her search for self and meaning, for fulfillment and—who knew it was a factor?—love, romance and all that kilig factor.